You pay no mind to syllables I speak,
although you know I’ve never been inclined
to harness language in a vain technique.
You pay no mind.

What would it cost? The coin’s not hard to find.
The only type of currency I seek
is presence, soft-acknowledged by my kind.

Your eyes meet mine. Your smile isn’t weak.
I thought you could afford me as we twined.
But decades contradict. I say with pique,
you pay no mind.